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Language and Diplomacy
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You
can send us any diplomatic blunders you know about, particularly from
your own country or region, and we will add them to our collection. We
will publish a short book and each person who contributed will receive a
copy. Please send blunders and other comments to v.nicolae@diplomacy.edu.
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The internet is a great way to get on the net (Bob Dole)
Diplomatic
language blunders are sometimes just amusing; but more often they are
dange-rous and may lead to miscommunication or in the worst case, a
break-down in diplomatic relations. This collection of blunders is
intended to be interesting and also instructive as a showcase of the worst
use of language by diplomats and other political figures.
American Foot in Mouth Diplomacy "Rather than eating each other, they'd just come up (to Switzerland) and get a good square meal in Geneva."
- Sen. Ernest Hollings talking about African diplomats attending international trade conferences.
We have a firm commitment to NATO, we are a part of NATO. We have a firm commitment to Europe. We are a part of Europe.
- Vice President Dan Quayle
Date entered: 5/2/2003 2:44:29 PM | British Foot in Mouth “Why can't the Jews and the Arabs just sit down together and settle this like good Christians?”
- Arthur Balfour, British statesman, Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary
Date entered: 5/2/2003 2:44:44 PM | South African Foot in Mouth "And what is more, I agree with everything I have just said."
-Piet Koornhoff, South African ambassador to United States
Date entered: 5/2/2003 2:44:55 PM | Romanian Foot in Mouth “We didn’t cheat the Romanian state, we only cheated the Swedish state”(talking about fiscal evasion of members of the Romanian embassy).
- Vlad-Andrei Moga, Romanian ambassador to Sweden
Date entered: 5/2/2003 2:45:10 PM | Indonesian Foot in Mouth "The people (of West New Guinea) have to be brought down from the mountains and the trees, and if they don't come voluntarily, then on the point of a bayonet."
- General Djatikusumo, Indonesian Ambassador to Malaysia Date entered: 8/26/2004 3:04:53 PM |
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